In an electophotographic image forming method in which an image is formed by electrostatically developing toner image, a heat-pressure roll and flash light are employed for a method of fixing toner on an image supporting material, hitherto (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
However these methods require a plenty of energy, because is fixed on an image supporting material by deforming and adhering toner, and it is not preferable in an energy saving view point.
A method of fixing by only pressure without heating is proposed as energy saving fixing method, (Refer to, for example, Patent Document 3). A method in which hollows are provided on a surface of an image supporting material, and toner particles are adhered electrostatically in the hollows is further proposed (for example, Patent Document 4).
However, there is a problem that sufficient adhesion to an image supporting material is not obtained and an expected image quality is not obtained by a method using only pressure. Further, there is a problem that releasing toner particles from the hollows is not avoided and stain due to released toner occurs depending on methods providing hollows.
Further, there is a problem that high quality image is not obtained because there are an image portion having toner and non-image portion having no toner, whereby a minute step is formed between an image portion and a non-image portion in the image, by image forming methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4.
A method is proposed to dissolve the problem of step between an image portion and a non-image portion, in which toner is allowed to exist in non-image portion (for example, Patent Document 5). The other method is proposed, in which a resin layer is provided on a surface of an image supporting material, and the toner and the resin layer of the image supporting material are molt by heat and pressure in fixing process, whereby fixing is conducted by that toner is fixedly adhere to the surface of the image supporting material (for example, Patent Document 6).
However, by a method disclosed in Patent Document 5, gaps are formed between toner and toner, the formed image print has high white turbidity and sufficient profound color is not obtained. Further, sufficient image quality is not obtained by the method of melting the resin layer and toner disclosed in Patent Document 6. This described above, hitherto, there is no image forming method to obtain high quality image simultaneously to attain energy saving.